Folding-machine.



H. H. HEER.

FOLDNG MACHINE.

APPLICATION SILEU AUG. IO. 1910.

Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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H. H. FHEER.

FOLDING MACHINE.

A'PPLICATsoN FILED AUG1 1o, |910.

Patented NOV. 23, 1915.'

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H. H. FREER.

FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED Aue. Io, 19m.

Pmented Nov. 23, i915.

3 SHEETS SHEET 3.

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Fig mmf/ym@ .narran ATE@ PATENT @lflil@E;

HENRY HOWARD FREER, OF LEICESTER, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE .SSIGN- l MENTS, TO BOSTON MACHINQEAWORKS COMPANY, OF LYN N, MASSACHUSETTS, A COR- PORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

' roLDrNG-MACHINE.

incinte.

, Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 23, i915..

y To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, HENRY H. FREER, a subject of the King of England, residing at Leicester, Leicestershire, England, have ifivented certain Improvements in Folding-r Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to folding or like machines, and more especially to that class of machineavhich is adapted to fold or vboth to cut or slit and to foldfthe edges of leather or simi-lar sheet material.Y

i'\ceording to this invention there is provided in a machine for folding the marginalv portiony of leather or other sheet material a marking device or devices (such for example as a plate on which are a series of 'marking points arrauged'to a design) to impress a design on the material, that will constitute a guide marking for a succeeding operation that is to be performed upon the material. l

A ystitch-line-lnarking operation is per: formed on the uppers of shoes to indicate the line of suceee .ling stitching and heretofore the operation has usually been performed after the edge of the material has been folded, but unless lnnformed with very great care, an accurate stitch-lineamirking has not-.been secured. By accomplishing the stitch-line-marking at the same time that thecdge is"';t'olded while the work is held in the folding machine in the'position in which it is folded, a perfectly uniform and accurate relationship of stitch-linemarking and folded edge is obtained without any chance or possibility of error, and hence there results a general improvement in the'quality of the work from the use of this invention. i

'lhe impressing means may take'the form ol a plate having on it marking devices ar ranged in the required design, and conven Aicntly the said impressing means may be re` movably attached to apart of the machine, as for instance the table. When a plate iS usedit may be made of zinc or other ductile metal, and the marking devices formed by a series ol' projections in the desiredoutline raised thereon by means of a punch.

This invention also comprises the provision, in addition to the devices which exert the required pressure for the folding operation, of separate means for engaging the slightly springy folding or other blade at a plurality of points so as to conform it to slight uncvennesses in the thickness of the material to be marked. Conveniently these means are made adjustable so that they may be regulated to operate at a series of points arranged along the line of contour of each of a variety of designs; furthermore, the means may be provided with an adjustment or adjustments to vary the amount of pressure that is delivered at one or more points along the contour, for example, where the design ends in a scroll the pressure exerting means adjacent to the scroll may be made vto deliver considerably more pressure to that part of the design than to those parts of the design that are composed of a less concentrated number of pricker points.l These means may come into operation simultaneously with the devices which exert the folding pressure or they may come into operation after the folding operation has beeneompleted.

fk convenient embodiment of the foregoing and other features of the invention will now be described as applied to a rnachine well known as the Booth folding machine. l

ln thel accompanying draWings,-Figure 1 is a plan of a Booth folding machine sufi'cient to illustrate the present invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation turned into a position to agree with Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a plan of themarking device; and Figs. 4 and 5 show the folding mechanism in different positions. v The usual type of Booth folding machine comprises a. table l on which the work to be folded is laid, a holder 2 to hold thev Work in position on the tablcfa creaserfplate 3 to hold the work and determine the position of the crease or fold, and a folder 4 to fold the edge ot' the work over the creuser-plate. rlhe holder and the creuser-plate are attached to arms 6 which are Securedfto a rock-shaft, and pressure is exerted to Akeep the holder and plate pressed against the work by means of rams each of which is conmctcd to the corresponding arm through a system of levers and a yielding member. Thus the holder and the creaser-plate are Cit yieldingly pressed against the work. These features and. 'the other parts or the machine not herein described are arranged and operated in substantially the same manner as in the usual Booth folding' machine. According to the embodiment ofthe present inven-` tion about to be described'means are provided to per-:form the operation of facing marking, e'. e. to mark a folded .upper adjacent to its folded edge so as to indicate the correct line for the subsequent sewing of the upper. and to this end a plurality of rows of indentations is made on 'the upper at the time when the folding operation takes place. The indentations are made by providing' the surtace on to which the fold of the upper is pres. with a row of small protuberanees arranged in a.. line of the shape with which it is desired to mark the upper. i

A thin, sino plate 7 in the present example constitutes the means to produce the required indentations and projections 8 are formed on it by means of a punch. rfhis plate is attached to the table et the machine in such a manner that it, can. be easily removed to vmalte .ra'y 35er a plate having a`diliierentdesignfwhen a ditte-aient size or class of Work is desired to be operated on, a creaser-plate 3 being changed at the same time as in the Booth folding machines.

The plate 'Y is positioned. on the table by dewels that are secured in the table and .enter co spending holes 9 in the plate. Two `nhers are provided one at ,l late and comprising an )ass through ini, ,r portion of each strip n; tuera-:d outward at 14x to constitute a convenient means ot moving; the strip endwise to 'clamp or unclamp the plate 7.

As already explained the creaser-plate exerts pressure on the worlt to hold it in position, hut this pressure would probablyv all times properly to in 'a .and further pressure-applying; met s are tl'ierelore i'novidcd. These means compv a -pair of levers 15 that are vfulcrmned at 1G to the machine trame, each havin at its end a.' crosspiece 18 adjnstably secured to it b y a bolt 1S). Screwed into holes in either end of the i 2O which are adapted l 2Q which supports the r-plate 3. The tree ends arry rolls 17 which are not be suilicie dent the ma crosspito bear holder 2 a mf' of the levers 1.3i c

acted upon by cams 23 and tlmsda direct pressure is applied to the creaser-plate and consequent-ly to the work.

IThe cams Q3 'lay be so arranged that the pressure due 'to their action is exerted simultaneously Withthe yieldingI pressure exerted .i

hy the cams-.actuating the oreaser-plate and the holder as hereinbefore described or they may be arranged to act after the folding operation is completed.

The arms of the levers 15 which contact with the head :22 are made adjustable. Each v arm 25 is formed as a sleeve in which slides a rod :27 which is longitudinally grooved. n a projection 29 from the sleeve is a spring-pressed locking-pin 30 which extends into the groove and so prevents 'the rod from turning and engages teeth formed at tlfe bottom ot the groove in the rod and So prevents endwise movement of the rod. By this construction when varying contours of design are interchanged in the machine the arms can be adjusted to correspond and the crosspieces on the end of these arms may be swireled and adjusted lengthwise on the bolt 19 to bring the impressing screws 20 into the best working; relationship with the design.

Although the design-carrying plate 1s described as 'attached to the table ofthe machine it is immaterial to what part the plate is attached provided itI is properly located to mark the stock in the desired manner.

Having: described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent ot the United States is 1. A folding machine having', in combination, a design forming member, mechanisml kranged to apply pressure on the design toi-mine' mechanism, and means for actuatinf.y said lever.

3. A machine of the class described having', in combination, a support for the work provided with a raised design, a clamp for holding.r the work in place, a creaser and a folder Jfor making the told, means tor operating said clamp, creaser and folder, and

mhlitional means ior pressing' the work against the design during the folding operation.

ln testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specification in the presence ot two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY UOVVRD Fili-EER.

l'vitnesses:

An'rnua 'llanns'rJnmz/iivr, VWM/rea W. BLL. 

